Screw-driver.



No. 807,946. PATENTED DEC. 19, 1905. G. H. LANG. SCREW DRIVER.

APPLICATION FILED 11.4.1905.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SCREW-DRIVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Dec. 19, 1905.

Application filed April 4, 1905. Serial No. 253.829.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CARL H. LANG, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Screw-Drivers, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention consists of a simple construction of screw-driver of thetype having means for holding the screw as the same is being driven intothe material to which it is applied.

The object of the invention is to secure a simplified structure ofdriver of this class admitting of quick manipulation of the means forholding the screw in proper position and one which is especiallydesigned for use in applying screws to inaccessible parts of pianoactions or parts located at places where there is not suflicient roomfor insertion of the hand.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means foreffecting the result reference is to be had to the following'descriptionand accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of adriver embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thedriver, the screw-holding member being shown in engagement with thescrew. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the driver alone.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

A driver constructed in accordance with this invention consists,essentially, of a handle 1 and a shank 2, composed of spring members 2and 2 The spring members 2 and 2 are preferably made of long narrowplates of sheet steel or metal, said plates being brought together atone end and welded or otherwise secured to form the handle 1, abovedescribed. The members 2 and 2 consist of springplates, and the springaction of these members is to normally hold the samein separatedpositions. The extremity of the member 2 opposite that adjacent thehandle 1 is flattened and formed with a chisel-like extremity 3 to enterthe nick of a screw. The end of the member 2 adjacent the member 3 isformed with a lateral engaging projection 4:, arranged to engage beneaththe head of the screw, (indicated at 5.) The portion of the projection 4which engages the screw is curved to form a seat 6, which conforms withthe shape of the rounded body portion of the screw, snugly fitting thelatter when the part 4 is properly engaged therewith. The member fengages the screw upon one side only, leaving the latter free upon theother sides in a manner which will be apparent. A ring 7 is mounted uponthe shank for forcing the members 2 and 2 thereof together in order thatthe member 4 may be held in positive engagement with the screw inoperating the latter to force the same into the wood or other material.The members 2 and 2 of the shank 2 are transversely widened near thecentral portions, as shown at 8, the widened portions preventingdisplacement of the ring 7 in one direction, and the handle 1 limits themovement of the ring in the other direction and is arranged convenientlywith reference to the ring, so that when said ring is slidably movedtoward the widened portions 8 of the shank the same will force the shankmembers 2 and 2 toward each other by a cam action with referencethereto, said members 2 and 2 being thus adapted to positively engageand hold the screw.

The widened portions 8 of the members 2 and 2 not only coact tolimit'the movement of the ring 7, but by so doing frictionally bindagainst the interior of the ring, and thereby resist the normal tendencyof the same to slide back toward the handle under the influence of thespring separating action of said members 2 and 2 The ring 7 is thuspositioned virtually by the engaging action of the portions 8 of thespring members 2 and 2 when it is moved into holding position, and acomparatively small amount of movement thereof will effect the necessarycooperation of the driver with the screw.

It will of course be understood that the screw cannot be driven home bymeans of the driver constituting this invention, because of theinterposition of the member 4 between the head of the screw and thework. After the screw has been well started withthe tool, ashereinbefore described, however, an ordinary screw-driver is employed todrive it home.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is As a newarticle of manufacture, a screwdriver consisting of a shank composed ofspring members normally tending to separate and brought together at oneend to form an integral handle, the central portions of the springmembers being transversely widened IIO of the ring when the latter isforced toward the same, an extremity of one of the spring members havinga screw-driving point, and a lateral projection extended from the otherspring member and adapted to cooperate there- With in holding a screw.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CARL H. LANG.

Witnesses:

GEQRGINA BAXTER, MARK A. Foo'rn.

